Pneumatic stacker.



PATENTED MARQZQ, 1904. A. P. au w. M RoBE-Ms. r PNBUMATIG STACKER.APPLIOATIONTILED JAN. 13, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- I0 IODEL.

i@ ma N o. 755,940. v PATBNTED MAR. 29,190.4..` A'

A. P. 6c W. M. ROBERTS.

PNEUMATIG STAGKER. APPLIOATION FILED nu. 1a, 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H0 MODEL.

INVENTORS me mams pum cu. nuo-mmm, ww.

PATRNTED MAR. 29, 1904.v M. ROBERTS. PNRUMATIG STAGKER.

A. P. '6L W APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

W/YWESSE gay@ -r r. mme Pinna no. vumonnm., msx-Mmmm4 n r No. ritaglio.

UNITED v STATES atentea March 29, 19041.*

PATENT OFFICE.

ANDERSON PITT ROBERTS AND WILLIAM MARVIN ROBERTS, OF COLUMBIA,

TENNESSEE.

PNEUMATIC STAOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,940, dated March29, 1904.

- Application led January 13, 1903. Serial No. 138,863. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom, t muy concern:

Be it known that we, ANDERSON PITT ROB- ERTs and WILLIAM MARVIN ROBERTS,citizens of the United States, residing at Columbia, in the county ofMaury and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic Stackers, of which the following is aspecication.

Ourinvention relates to pneumatic stackers such as are employed inconnection with husking-machines; and it has for one of its objects toprovide a construction in which the usual complicated mechanism orgearing between the drive-shaft and the tube orits support is dispensedwith, a further object of the invention being to provide a mechanismwherein there will be a more direct transmission of energy from thedrive-shaft to the stacker discharge-tubeand in which the operation ofthe mechanism will not be likely to be interfered with by flying husksor other matter.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction of thedriving mechanism by a reduction in the number of elements composingsuch mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientmeans for giving tothe stacker ldischarge-tube an oscillatory movementby a direct connection leading from a continuously-rotating drive-shaft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shifting orreversing mechanism of a simple and eflicient construction and onewherein the shifting or reversing of the discharge-tube is alsoaccomplished by a direct connection between the said mechanism and thedischarge-tube.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

Heretofore in the construction of pneumatic stackers there has in mostinstances, if not all, been employed numerous shafts and connectionsunited and operated through the instrumentality of beveled gears andpinions orl their equivalents; but it will be noted in the presentinstance that the driving mechansim is composed of a single drive-shaftand leading therefrom a direct connection, there being shown acable-drive to oscillate the tube, all gears and v pinions beingentirely omitted as far as the oscillation of the discharge-tube isconcerned. It has also been found in most instances, if not all, thatthe tripping or reversing `of the tube has been accomplished through themedium of one lever coacting with another or through the mediumofbellcrank levers, while in the present instance the shifting orreversing mechanism is carried by the drive-shaft, a direct connectionora single lever leading therefrom to and actuated by the discharge-tube.Where numerous shafts and gears are employed, the transmission of energyis more or less retarded and reduced in power, for the reason that theenergy in taking irregular-or whaty might be termed 5 rightangulardirectIons loses energy, while in the present instance vby our directconnections-that is, one direct connection between the driving mechanismand the tube for oscillation purposes and another direct connection forreversing the direction of movement of the tube to permit of itsoscillation-energy as regards the oscillation and reversing of thedischarge-tube is neither retarded `nor reduced, the constructiongreatly simplied, hence a more economical and compact arrangement,wit hless liability of derangement of the driving mechanism. p y

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several Views,Figure l is a perspective -view illustrating a stacker discharge tubeequipped with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionthrough the stacker-tube above the turn-table or tube-support andshowing the winding-drums and the shifting-clutch` means for thedischarge-tube. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the master-wheelor support, illustrating a modified connection of the cable-drivethereto.

Referring now to the drawings, there is 'shown a portion of the frame1() of a huskingmachine, on which is mounted the fan-casing 11, having afan 12 therein, and from which casing leads the.upwardly-directed spout13, through which the husks pass from the casing into thedischarge-tube. At the outer end of the frame 10 is the platform 14,having an opening 15, in which is secured the plate 16, having a flange17, and in which opening engages the upper end of the spout 13.

The stacker discharge-tube 18 rises from a turn table or revolvingsupport 19 in the form of a circular plate having a depending ange 20,which [its over the flange 17 and is spaced slightly therefrom, so thatbearingballs 21 may be held between the two flanges and rest upon theplate 16 while supporting the turn-table or support 19. These balls thusprevent lateral displacement and give a lateral bearing for theturn-table or support in addition to supporting the latter.

The turn-table or support 19 has a central opening which is surroundedby the ange 22, which in turn has a ange 23 at its upper edge, so thatthe flange 22 is in reality a drum to receive the actuating-cable 24,hereinafter described, the ange or drum receiving the lower end of thedischarge-tube, which is secured firmly thereon, so that as theturntable or support is oscillated similar movement will be given to thedischarge-tube. To hold the turn-table or support down upon itsbearings, idlers 25 are provided and are mounted upon stub shafts 26,carried by brackets 27, which are mounted upon the platform 14 inposition to hold the idlers against the upper face of the turn-table. Bythus holding the turn-table against upward movement tilting of thedischarge-tube is prevented.

Upon the platform 14 are provided bearings 28, in which is journaled adrive-shaft 29 for actuating the discharge-tube, and this drive-shafthas a pulley 30 at one end which receives a belt 31, leading to a pulley32 on the shaft 33, from which the fan 12 is driven, so that thefan-shaft and the discharge-tube drive-shaft may be operated one fromthe other, it being understood, however, that the drive-shaft may berotated from any suitable source.

Upon the drive-shaft 29 are loosely mounted winding-drums 35 and 36,which are free to rotate upon the shaft, but are held againstlongitudinal movement thereof, and on the mutually adjacent faces ofthese windingdrums are formed clutch members 37 andv 38. Upon thedrive-shaft between the two clutch or winding drums is mounted a sleeve39, which is splined to the shaft so that it may be shiftedlongitudinally thereof and rotated with the shaft, the ends of thesleeve 39 having clutch-faces 40 and 41 for alternate engagement withthe clutches of the windingdrums, respectively, as the sleeve is shiftedlongitudinally. Thus it will be seen that if the drive-shaft iscontinuously rotated and the clutch-sleeve is shifted longitudinallyfirst in one direction and then the other first one winding-drum andthen the other Will be engaged with or connected to the shaft forrotation thereby. The winding-drums 35 and 36 are anged, as shown, andare provided with a hood or casing 42, (shown in dotted lines in Fig.3,) it being obvious that the hood may extend entirely over the shaftand other mechanism, and through one flange 'of each drum is formed aperforation in which is engaged one end of a cable 24, the bight portionof which is wound upon the central flange or drum of the turn-table orsupport and secured thereto through the perforations 44 and 44, asshown, there being a sufficient number of windings of the cable on thelast-named drum to insure sufficient friction to cause the drum torotate when the cable is drawn therefrom in either direction. sleeve, alever 45 is provided and is mounted at its outer end to the bracket 46,which is attached to the platform or table 14, said lever having a lug47 on its upper face, which lies between the spaced circumscribingflanges 48 and 49 of the sleeve 39, so that when the lever is moved ineither direction the sleeve 39 will be correspondingly shifted. Thelever 45 extends beneath a keeper or guide 50, secured upon the platform14, and into path of movement of two pins or strikers 51 and 52, whichdepend from the turn-table or support 19 at diametrically oppositepoints of the latter, it being seen that the strikers may beinterchangeable with the several perforations formed in the turn-tableor support for permitting different degrees of reverse movement of thelatter. Pivoted to the keeper 50 is a rod 53, the opposite end of whichis passed loosely through a lug 54 on the shifting-lever between thekeeper or guide and the point of engagement of the strikers, and uponthis pivoted rod is disposed a helical spring 55, which presses againstthe lug and the enlarged head of the rod and acts to hold the leveryieldably at whichever limit of lateral movement it be placed. It willthus be seen that if the drive-shaft be rotated continuously that thatwinding-drum which is clutched thereto will be rotated to wind thereonthe connected end of the cable to give to the stacker-tube and itssupport a corresponding rotary movement. This direction of movement orrotation of the stacker-tube will be continued until a striker isbrought into engagement with the shifting-lever and has moved the latterbeyond the point of pivotal mounting of the rod which has been placedunder tension by the To shift the clutch- IOO IIO

i-n-itial movement of the lever and will act to throw the lever to theopposite limit of its' movement and engage the clutch-sleeve with theopposite winding-drum on the drive-shaft, atthe' same time disengagingvthe sleeve from the first winding-drum. The ,Second windingdrum willthen be caused to rotate with the shaft, while the iirst winding-drum isfree to rotate on the shaft, and in consequence the opposite end of thecable will be wound up and the cable will be drawn from the drum of thedischarge-tube to rotate the same in opposite direction, it being notedthat the cable is wound in opposite planes alternately. It will also beseen that the shifting of the clutch-sleeve is automatic. Hence bycontinuously rotating the drive-shaft the discharge-tube will beoscillated.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modification of the mounting of the lower endof the stackertube in which there is employed a base-plate 60, which isbolted or otherwise secured to the platform 14 andV through which is acentral opening 61, which receives the lower end of the stacker-tube,the lower end of the tube having aiiange 62, which engages against theunder side of the platform and prevents upward movement and tilting ofthe stackerdrum 64, which receives the operating-cable 24 foroscillating the stacker-tube. 1t will be noted that the winding-drum 64is formed integral with the ange 63, it being understood, however, thatthis ange and its winding-drum might be formed in separate pieces.

It will be noted in our modified form of invention, particularly asregards the mounting of the discharge-tube, that the latter extendsbeneath the under surface of the platform 14 and upward movement thereofis prevented by the collar or flange 62, while in the first-describedform the discharge-tube is mounted directly upon the drum ofthe support,turntable, or, as it is sometimes called, the master#wheel. It will alsobe noted that the plate has an upwardly-directed iiange 65 and that theiiange 63 has a depending flange 66 iitting around the flange 65, butslightly spaced'therefrom, and bearing-balls 67 disposed between thesaid flanges to prevent lateral displacement and permit of easyoscillationof the stacker-tube. It will further be understood that theflange 63 is, like the sup- I flange -that undue wabbling of thestackertube in the absence of the bearing-balls might be prevented.

As illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings,-the

cable 24 for turning the master-wheel or tube#` support may be formed insections, one end of each section being connected to the pulleys 35 and36 (see Fig. 1) with each opposite end thereof knotted or otherwisesecured in the perforations 44 and 44a, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

Itis to be understood that our invention is subject to changes in formsand proportions, and modifications may be subsequently resorted to inthe embodiment of our invention to which we consider ourselves entitledin so far as we do not depart from =the spirit and scope of ourinvention.

Te claim-4 1. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube,a drivingmechanism consisting of a single-drive-shaft rotating continuously inone direction, a reversing mechanism carried by the drive-shaft, and adirect connection between the driving mechanism and the tube for IOO forreversing the movement of the latter, and

another direct connection between the driving mechanism and the tube foroscillating the latter.

4. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single drive-shaft rotating continuously in onedirection and carrying a reversing mechanism, and a direct connectionbetween the re- -versing mechanism and the tube for reversing themovement of the latter.

5. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driveshaft rotatingcontinuously in IIO one direction, a direct connection between the tubefor oscillating the latter, and means for reversing the movement of thetube.

6. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single drive-shaft rotating continuously in onedirection, and a direct flexible connection between the shaft and thetube for oscillating the latter.

7. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsistingof a single drive-shaft rotating continuouslyin one direction,a iieXible connection between the drive-shaft and the tube foroscillating the latter, and means for automatically reversing themovement of the tube.

S. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single drive-shaft rotating' continuously in onedirection, a direct flexible connection between the drive-shaft and thetube for oscillating the latter, and another direct connection betweenthe driving mechanism and the tube for reversing the movement of thetube.

9. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft rotatingcontinuously in one direction and carrying a reversing mechanism anddriving members, and a direct connection between the driving members andthe tube for oscillating the latter.

10. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft rotatingcontinuously in one direction and carrying a reversing mechanism anddriving members, a direct connection between the driving members and thetube for oscillating the latter, and means for automatically actuatingthe reversing mechanism.

11. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driveshaft rotatingcontinuously in one direction and carrying a reversing mechanism anddriving members, and a direct flexible connection between the drivingmembers and the tube for oscillating the latter.

12. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft carryingdriving members, an automatically-arranged reversing mechanism disposedbetween the said members and communicating with said tube by a directconnection, and a direct fiexible connection between the driving membersand the tube for oscillating the latter.

13. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, adrive-shaft carryingreversing mechanism and driving members, said reversing mechanism beingin direct communication with the tube and placed under tension duringthe oscillation of the latter, and a direct connection between thedriving members and the tube for oscillating the latter.

14.. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driveshaft rotatingcontinuously in one direction and carrying a reversing mechanism anddriving members, a direct flexible connection between the drivingmembers and the tube for oscillating the latter, and means carried bythe tube for actuating the reversing mechanism.

15. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft carryinga reversing mechanism and driving members, a direct connection betweenthe driving members and the tube for oscillating the latter, and anotherdirect connection between the driving mechanism and the tube forreversing the movement thereof.

16. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single drive-shaft rotating continuously in onedirection and carrying driving members, a reversing mechanism mountedupon the shaft between said driving members and adapted to alternatelyengage said members, and a direct connection between the reversingmechanism and the tube for reversing the movement of the latter.

17. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single drive-shaft rotating continuously in onedirection and carrying driving members, a direct connection between thedriving members and the tube for oscillating the latter, a reversingmechanism mounted upon said shaft between the said driving members andadapted to alternately engage said members, and a direct connectionbetween the reversing mechanism and the tube for reversing the movementof the latter.

18. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single drive-shaft rotating continuously in onedirection and carrying driving members, a reversing mechanism mountedupon said shaft and automatically actuated, and a direct .flexibleconnection between the driving members and the tube for oscillating thelatter.

19. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a shaft and driving members carried thereon, a reversingmechanism mounted upon said shaft between said driving members andadapted to alternately engage said members, and a direct connectionbetween the reversing mechanism and the tube for reversing the movementof the latter.

20. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft havingdirect connection with the tube for oscillating the latter, and meansfor automatically reversing the movement of the tube.

21. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft, areversing mechanism mounted on the shaft and having direct communicationwith the tube, and a direct flexible connection between the shaft andthe tube for oscillating the latter, said flexible connection in itsoperation being wound upon its said connecting members in oppositeplanes.

22. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft, drivingmembers mounted upon the shaft, means for clutching the driving membersalternately to the shaft, and a single means connected with both drivingmembers and to the tube for movement by the driving members to oscillatethe tube.

23. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft,winding-drums mounted loosely upon the shaft and having clutch members,a cable arranged with the tube and attached to the winding-drums to bewound thereon alternately, and a clutch-sleeve splined on the shaft andadapted to engage with the said clutch members of the drumsinterchangeably.

IOO

IIO

24. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube having a drum, adrive-shaft having winding-drums mounted loosely thereon, a iexibleconnection wound upon the drum of the stacker-tube and attached at itsends to the winding-drums, and means for clutching the winding-drumsalternately to the shaft.

25. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft, a directflexible connection between the shaft and tube, and means actuated bymovement of the tube for reversing the direction of movement of theiieXible connection.

26. A `stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft, adirect flexible connection between the shaft and the tube, and means forautomatically reversing the direction of movement oi the flexibleconnection for oscillating the tube.

27. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft,winding-drums mounted loosely upon the shaft, a cable engaged with thestacker-tube and attached to the windingdrums, and means actuated bymovement of the stacker-tube for'clutching the windingdrums alternatelyto the shaft.

28. A stacker providedwith an oscillatory tube, a revolving support forthe tube, a driveshaft carrying a reversing mechanism and drivingmembers, said reversing mechanism having direct connection with thetube-support and actuated thereby, and a direct connection between thesaid driving members and the tube for oscillating the latter.

29. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a revolving support forthe tube, said support having projections depending from its undersurface, a drive-shaft carrying a reversing mechanism and drivingmembers, said reversing mechanism having direct connection with thetube-support and actuated by the said projections, and a direct flexibleconnection between the driving members and the tube for oscillating thelatter.

30. A stacker providedv with an oscillatory tube, a drive-shaft carryingwinding-drums loosely mounted thereon, and a sectional iieXibleconnection between the winding-drums and the tube for oscillating thelatter.

31. A stacker provided with an oscillatory tube, a driving mechanismconsisting of a single shaft having driving members loosely mountedthereon, a two-part connection between the tube and the driving membersfor oscillating the tube, and means actuated by the movement of thestacker-tube for reversing the direction of movement thereof.

In testimony whereof we aHiX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ANDERSON PITT ROBERTS.

WILLIAM MARVIN ROBERTS. Witnesses:

W. J. GroAD,

W. E. SMITH.

